Pumpkin - super food, super tasty

So fall has finally descended on the D.C. area and I am thrilled. I know I am not alone in my sentiment that fall is the best season of all time. Not only is the cooler weather a godsend after the oppressive humidity of a D.C. summer, but the food options are richer and more delicious. Caramelized roast veggies, thick cuts of meat, warm frothy drinks and liberal doses of nutmeg, cinnamon and toffee give autumn a far more complex palate than the lighter options of summer. 

And there's pumpkin. Oh. My. God. Pumpkin. Which has a nutrient profile that defines it as a super food. While its chock-full of good stuff, I simply find it super tasty. According to Self magazine's NutritionData entry, pumpkin is "a good source of Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorous, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper and Manganese." And don't forget the beta carotene! Pumpkin is loaded with this cancer-fighting nutrient. 

We should all eat more pumpkin, so I am sharing one of my favorite recipes with you - Morning Pumpkin Coffee Cake, courtesy of Vegetarian Times. I made some slight changes - more pumpkin, less sugar. It's very simple, but the results are very tasty. Enjoy! (Photo credit: mvissat)


Coffee Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter – preferably Kerry Gold

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin purée

           

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

4 Tbs. butter, melted

To make coffee cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 10-inch square pan with nonstick spray. You can also use two 4-inch x 8-inch loaf pans. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and sugar in separate bowl until fluffy. Mix eggs and pumpkin into butter mixture. Gradually stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture. Spread in pan.

To make streusel topping:

Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. Spread on coffee cake.

Bake 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes, then slice into squares, and serve.